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Golden mango salad

This mixture of salad leaves and herbs, each with its own robust flavour, marries well with the sweetness and smooth texture of mango. The result is a salad that is colourful and refreshing, ideal as a light starter or side dish. Serve with warm mixed-grain bread or rolls.

MethodPrep:15min › Ready in:15min

Peel the mango. Cut the flesh from both sides of the stone and slice it thinly lengthways.

Mix the salad leaves on a platter, then sprinkle on the basil and coriander. Arrange the mango slices on and between the salad leaves.

Whisk the ingredients for the dressing together and spoon it over the salad. Sprinkle with the chopped cashew nuts or peanuts and serve.

Some more ideas

Thin strips of peeled cooked beetroot and cooked or raw celeriac are delicious additions to this salad. * Replace the nuts with spicy croûtons. Cut 2 slices of day-old bread into cubes and place in a polythene bag. Add a pinch of chilli powder, then hold the bag shut and shake well. Tip into a non-stick pan sprayed with oil and stir-fry until crisp and golden brown. Add to the salad just before serving. * For a completely fat-free dressing, mix 1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar (the type sold for making Japanese sushi) with the ginger and lime zest and juice. Add 2 tbsp fresh orange juice. Or mix 2 tbsp each of orange juice, dry sherry and soy sauce for a punchy dressing. * A mixed green salad makes a versatile accompaniment for all meals or a useful base on which to serve ingredients such as fruit or smoked fish for a first course. Mix 225 g (8 oz) mixed salad leaves (cos, lamb's lettuce, Lollo Rosso, Little Gem, baby spinach or rocket) with about 45 g (1½ oz) mixed fresh herbs (basil, tarragon, chervil, flat-leaf parsley and mint), torn or coarsely chopped. Rub the inside of the salad bowl with a cut clove of garlic, if liked, then discard. Add the leaves and herbs to the bowl. For the dressing, whisk together 1 shallot, finely chopped, ½ tsp Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp white wine vinegar and 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil with seasoning. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, then toss gently to coat the leaves.

Plus points

Mango contains a wealth of carotenoids which protect against free radical attack and degenerative diseases. Mango also supplies iron, magnesium, potassium and vitamins E, C and B group. * All the leaves provide minerals, such as potassium, calcium and iron. Raw spinach provides folate. All these minerals help to protect against cancer.